Current Giveaways

Monday, November 12, 2012

Interview + Giveaway with Denise Agnew!

WELCOME TO THE BLOG, DENISE! :)

Suspenseful, erotic, edgy, thrilling, romantic, adventurous. All these words
describe Denise A. Agnew's award-winning novels. Romantic Times Book Review
Magazine called her romantic suspense novels "top-notch" and her erotic romance
PRIMORDIAL received a Top Pick from
Romantic Times Book Review Magazine.

Denise's record proves that with paranormal, time travel, romantic comedy,
contemporary, historical, erotic romance, and romantic suspense novels under her
belt, she enjoys writing about a diverse range of subjects.

The fact she has lived in Colorado, Hawaii, and the United Kingdom has given
her a lifetime of ideas. Her experiences with archaeology and archery have crept
into her work, as well as numerous travels through the UK and Ireland.

The_Book_Queen: Hi Denise! Can you tell us
a little bit about yourself?

Denise: First off, thanks so much for having me as a guest on your
blog. I very much appreciate it! I’m the author of about forty-five romance
novels in a wide variety of subgenres such as romantic suspense, paranormal
romance, historical romance, fantasy romance, erotic romance, and contemporary.
You name it, I’ve written it. Well, okay, I haven’t written science fiction
romance. But I never say never. I describe myself as genre-hopping because I
write whatever blows my skirt up. I’m most interested in writing the story that
calls to me at the moment. I lean toward writing spooky stories and those with
a lot of suspense woven into the fabric of the story.

TBQ: If you couldn't be a writer, what would you be instead?

D: Oh, man, that’s tough! Probably an archaeologist, or perhaps
I’d work in some capacity at a university. I worked over fourteen years at two
different universities before I became a full time writer. I also studied a lot
of psychology, so who knows what direction I could go. (Wow--hey, at least you have options, right? And I think that would be very cool to be an archaeologist!)

TBQ: Your newest release, Shadows Wait, came out on
Halloween and kicks off your Asylum Trilogy. Can you tell us a little bit about
this book, and why readers are going to love it?

D: In Shadows Wait the reader is introduced to haunted Tranquil
View Asylum and its dark legacy that started when it was built in 1888. The
story is set in 1908, and we meet Lilly Luna, a young woman who was born in the
asylum after her mother was committed there. Lilly “sees dead people” and talks
to them—she’s essentially a medium. She’s tormented by friendly and evil
ghosts. She falls in love with Morgan Healy, a doctor who realizes his own
family has a sinister secret only when he delves deeper in the mysteries of the
asylum and makes a deep romantic connection to Lilly. They come from entirely
different worlds, and what brings them together is strong and fragile at the
same time. Lilly is shunned because she’s perfectly sane, but she understands
the insane and the evil that permeates the asylum. Lilly is vulnerable because
she’s spent so much time in this insular world, and she educated herself.
Imagine the difficulties of a grown woman who understands evil and the
paranormal, but at the same time hasn’t experienced much of the normal outside
world. Mix that with her romantic feelings for a brooding man with secrets of
his own. There’s something of the “gothic” about this story, too.

The next two books (Shadows Rise and Shadows Fall) bring two
more couples into danger, one in 1918 and the last in contemporary times.

Readers who like their reads “different” and appreciate dark
paranormal may love this book. Those readers hungering for paranormal that
doesn’t feature shape shifters, vampires or werewolves may also enjoy the
entire trilogy.

TBQ: Are there other genres you would like to write about?

D: As I mentioned above I’ve written in almost every romance
genre, but I’d also like to write straight horror. Although even if I did that
there’s a good chance there would be a romance in the story.

TBQ: I know we all hate this question, author and reader alike.
:) But I have to ask: What are a few of your favorite books and/or authors?

D: I love Dean Koontz’s The Good Guy, Dark Fall, Lightning,
Phantoms, The Taking and so many of his other books. He writes fantastic female
heroines and his books are truly not formula. He blends genres. His characters
are wonderful, and he does feature romances in some of his books. As for
romance novelists I have a ton of favorites and can’t possibly list them all.

TBQ: Have you ever fallen for a hero, either from one of your
books or from another author? If so, who is he and what drew you to him?

D: Oh, man! Another tough question. There are so many. I’d have
to say the hero in The Good Guy by Dean Koontz is awesome. He isn’t what you
think he is. He’s this guy just trying to do the right thing by the heroine,
and yet there is so much more to him than meets the eye. And I just love how
you don’t find that out until the end…you don’t know his entire history or his
true background right away. I like it when an author trickles out the clues.
More than anything I appreciate a hero who is complicated. He isn’t just an
alpha or beta kinda guy who acts one way. He has layers and isn’t perfect. I
think a hero in a romance novel should take his own journey in the story and
not just be there to act as a romantic interest for the heroine. A hero who can
show his vulnerabilities with his strengths and isn’t perfect is awesome.

TBQ: What's next-- Can you tell us a little bit about your
upcoming releases or WIP?

D:Next up is Blackout, which is available probably in February
2013. I’m describing it as a sort of post apoc, suspense, paranormal
contemporary romance. It features a heroine who survived a natural disaster
before, and now a solar flare throws the world into chaos. She’s had ten years
to rebuild her life after her ex-husband’s suicide, and her world is now getting
tipped upside down again. The ex-marine federal marshal hero has secrets he
doesn’t want to reveal to the heroine—things that will surely drive her away.
But there’s a lot going on in this story. The grid might go down, and then
there’s haunted house that draws the hero and heroine into its dark world. I
consider it a mash up of genres, and I loved creating it. I’m also working on
the third novella in a military romance trilogy (Gunn Brothers Trilogy) that is
also suspense/thriller oriented. Plus…I’m finishing up a historical romance
trilogy that features dimension travel. You could say I’m a busy lady. J

SPEED ROUND:

A day on a secluded island OR a day at the spa?

Secluded island.

Reading a spicy romance novel OR a sweet
“my-heart-skips-a-beat” one?

Spicy.

Which would you rather have an affair with: a sexy
highlander OR a devilishly handsome English lord?

Highlander.

Hot summer days OR cold winter nights?

Cold winternights.

Where would your dream house be: in the city, where all the
action is OR nestled in the mountain where you can enjoy the quiet and the
wilderness?

Mountains.

If you could live in any time period, past or future, which
one would it be?

I’d live in the Belle Epoque…the time between 1890 and 1914
essentially.

Cover Lover OR Blurb Fan?

Blurb.

Steamy Novella OR Sweet Novel? (aka, Quickie or Slow Build
Up?)

Well…I like slow build up erotic romance so steamy but with
substance. J
I want it all.

TBQ: And finally, tell us 3 unique/wacky/fun things about
yourself:

I’m an Honorary Army Mountain Ranger, and if I told you how
I got it…well, then I’d have to kill ya.

I wrote gothic romances as a teenager…all on notebook paper.

The first true horror novel I read was at eleven years old.
The Exorcist.

The_Book_Queen: Thanks so much for stopping by, Denise, and please know that
you are welcome back anytime! Do you have any questions for our
readers—something to spark a good discussion? :)

Denise has a few questions for you!

1. Are there genres you’re getting tired of seeing out
there…things that you feel are saturating the reading experience.

2. What draws you to an author’s website the most?

3. Do you follow authors on Facebook and Twitter?

4. Any The Walking Dead fans?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Shadows Wait by Denise Agnew

Publisher: Denise A. Agnew (October 18, 2012)

Series: The Asylum, 1

Genre: Paranormal/Historical

Lilly Luna’s mother gave birth to her in an asylum for the mad. Growing up in an
insane asylum exposed her to horrors few could imagine, and yet her compassion
and ability to heal frightens the broken and the healthy alike. The town fears
her. The sane shun her.

Morgan Healy’s father runs the creepy and
rumor-maligned asylum. Morgan’s lineage is filled with insanity. Morgan holds
together his crumbling family, hoping to escape his father’s legacy and the
terrible secret it holds. When Lilly is hired as companion for Morgan’s sister,
Morgan and Lilly form a reluctant alliance to corral the evil that seeps from
Tranquil View and threatens not only the town, but also their growing love.

Thanks for stopping by, Denise! :) This series sounds like a great one, I look forward to diving in! :)

Readers: Don't forget to answer Denise's questions, please!

1. Are there genres you’re getting tired of seeing out there…things that you feel are saturating the reading experience.

2. What draws you to an author’s website the most?

3. Do you follow authors on Facebook and Twitter?

4. Any The Walking Dead fans?

Enjoy!Until Next Time,

*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Hi Sienny. :) Sorry for the slow response! I seem to be in too many places at once lately. :) I think I'm right there with you on paranormal reading, although I'll admit I love paranormal scary movies if they're done well. :) Thanks for stopping by!

1. I'm not really getting tired of a genre so much as taking a break from it. I generally rotate genres; I go for historical romance, then to the contemporary, then paranormal, etc. Right now I'm taking a break from historical romance :)2. What draws me to an author's website is the layout/format. How it looks is huge for me. The color, how easy it is to read, how easy it is to navigate through...3. Yes. If I like 'em, I follow 'em.4. No, sorry :)

1. Are there genres you’re getting tired of seeing out there…things that you feel are saturating the reading experience. My taste in books is quite eclectic, so I just move from one genre to the next. A glut of a certain genre does not affect me.

2. What draws you to an author’s website the most? I like to see what books are coming out & when.

3. Do you follow authors on Facebook and Twitter? Not really. I prefer blogs.

4. Any The Walking Dead fans? Not yet. I seriously need more hours in he day to catch on my reading.

Hi Arely! Something bizarre was happening and every time I tried to post here it wasn't working. Sorry about the late response. :) I think I feel the same way...I rotate genres in my writing and my reading because I get bored! :)

Guest Authors

Popular Posts

Categories

Total Pageviews

Archive

Reviewing: Unless otherwise stated, generally the books we review on TBQ's Book Palace were sent from a publisher/author for us to review. We are not paid to review said book, We receive the book for free, and in exchange provide an honest, but accurate, review. We do not make biased reviews because we received the book free of charge.